“Welcome back, my child.”

A slim young adult walked into the darkness with firm footsteps. Although he felt the trepidation he always felt whenever he entered this room, he didn’t show it on his face. His green eyes looked ahead, albeit a bit low, they were defiant and strong.

His shoulders were wide, and his posture was confident. The lab coat he was wearing looked neat and the clothes underneath were stylish. The raven hair was combed back, giving him a charming look.

“Am I the only one?” He asked when he arrived in front of the figure, who had been watching him ever since he first arrived. The figure looked ethereal, yet divine. Two dawning suns of eyes never blinked. Not ever since he entered, not ever as far as he could remember. Despite not seeing the face of the figure, the young adult always thought it was smiling. He wasn’t sure if the smile was mocking or benevolent, he could never tell.

The voice of the figure was as mighty as ever. He didn’t know how a creature could sound like that. There was this feeling, as if an invisible aura was within the voice, and it could soothe him but at the same time, remind him that he was just a mortal.

“You are the only one today, Adam.” The voice called out. His metallic, angelic body shone with light, as he sat down on his throne. “There is something I want to discuss with you.”

“Anything I can do for you, Lorthew?” Adam asked as he slightly bowed down. He got angry at his actions as soon as he did it, but he couldn’t help but show respect when standing in front of this creature.

“Nothing bothersome, I assure you.” Answered the figure as he raised his arm. In the next second, a video played in the darkness. Adam looked at it and gasped in surprise.

“Lorthew?” He asked in disbelief.

“I want to know how this is possible, that is all.” The figure said as the video stopped playing. On the frozen screen, was a beautiful woman. With green eyes and raven black hair. She too was wearing a lab coat and was working on a small device. The device was the latest invention of this woman, an energy equalizer.

“My sister invented this after the person I mentioned earlier tipped her off about Dual Elemental Orbs.” Adam started. He asked Lorthew about Dual Elemental Orbs before, but he didn’t respond, saying it was a waste of time.

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“I do not understand why you are doubting me, my child. Dual Elemental Orbs are not important and anyone can create them. You just need to use Elemental Minerals and they will melt, later you just have to merge them in a forge.” The figure said calmly although Adam felt the disapproval in his voice. “The number of minerals you need for high-ranked orbs offset the profit you can make from a dual elemental orb. It is not worth it.”

“Lorthew, I-” Adam started but was cut off by the figure.

“Enough!” He intoned and asked. “Tell me how your sister achieved this.”

“She created a device that filters the energy and distributes it back. It equalizes the amount and the wave range to prevent mishaps in frequency.” Adam started to explain and for the first time, the figure across him closed his eyes.

For a second, the darkness looked even darker. As if two stars had just died, and the world was swallowed by the darkness. It wasn't only literal meaning, for a second, Adam felt as if darkness was about to devour all the good.

“Resonance.” He muttered. Adam looked up and shivered. He didn’t know what it was that made him shiver. Seeing the all-seeing eyes closed for the first time or the face he could not see.

“Yes, sister said something like this.” Adam nodded.

“Your sister is a genius.” The figure said slowly. Adam felt proud but still felt it wasn’t a good thing to be noticed by the creature across him.

“You can leave, Adam. If you want to create dual elemental orbs, go for it. But know that, it will only hinder your path to greatness. Forget about small achievements and focus on the big picture. The universe is infinite, and possibilities are endless. Do not chase others’ achievements. Instead, create your own.”

"I understand, Lorthew." Adam nodded and bowed slightly, before raising his head and asking, "Lorthew, Apollo Race will attack our world. I know you don't want to be part of these mundane things, but can you please talk to 5 who were blessed by your guidance to convince their world to stop this invasion?"

"My purpose in life is to lead and teach. I do not choose to stay out of these things but it is life preventing me to meddle in your fights. If I force my way into it, it will upset the balance. And without balance, everything will collapse." The figure said wisely. Adam wanted to say something else, but the figure continued.

"Do not try to convince by bringing your sister into this conversation. I know the potential every creature carries, but ask yourself, do you forgive an enemy just because of the slightest chance they can save the world? How many monsters have you killed? How many humans have you killed? Have you ever thought about them? What if one of them had the potential for greatness? Did you ever think of forgiving them?"

"No." Adam accepted in shame.

"Life is unpredictable. That is why it is worth living. The possibilities are endless, and the outcome is never certain."

"Work hard Adam."

"Thank you for your teaching, Lorthew." Adam bowed once again and turned to leave. As he was walking in the darkness, a voice reverberated behind him.

"Try to find a way to pass through the Endless Mountain. It is high time you advance.”